Headline comparisons: Sunday Shopping Spree as seen in US and France

Notice the difference between these headlines yesterday in the US NY Daily News:

Michelle Obama enjoys Paris privilege barred to millions in France: Sunday shopping
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/06/30/2009-06-30_michelle_obama_and_daughters_enjoy_paris_privilege_barred_to_millions_in_france_.html#ixzz0JzzLi34p&C

and in French Magazine L'expansion:

Sarkozy utilise Michelle Obama pour défendre le travail le dimanche
Translated: Sarkozy uses Michelle Obama's (shopping spree) to push work on Sundays
http://www.lexpansion.com/economie/actualite-economique/sarkozy-utilise-michelle-obama-pour-defendre-le-travail-le-dimanche_184290.html

 

My Opinion:

Yes, it's true that Americans have been groaning forever about weird shopping hours when they visit France.

Since I was born here, I never really thought it was a big deal, other than hearing my (American) mom complain about it from time to time.

On one of my first visits back to Paris after having started college in Florida, I clearly remember asking my parents how they could have chosen to live in country where you can't find a convenience store open afer 10PM and where everything is closed on Sundays.

More than 12 years later I've moved back to France and the consumer aspect (or lack thereof) does not bother me one bit anymore. Sundays are made to relax, to go visit your parents, to have long lunches and to do things you don't usually do during the week, like take a walk in the park.

In short, it's about time, quality time, if possible.. something you come to miss after living in the US for awhile.

These headlines are funny because while Michelle Obama gets to do something which the US newspapers term as forbidden to so many Europeans, in France they are saying that Sarkozy is using Michelle to tell French people it's time they get to work... on Sundays too.

This is a big deal in France because unions here fight to protect workers. While some French people see an advantage to being able to work on a Sunday and make more money, others feel that this is the beginning of a "fight to survive" era, where they will be forced to take on more work hours and possibly a second job in order to make ends meet.

Sarkozy did jump on the opportunity to remind the French that most tourists who visit this country don't understand why so many stores are closed on Sundays. In the press conference where he brought this up (video below in French) he made it seem like he had to make phone calls and ask people for favors so that the First Lady and her daughters could go shopping on a Sunday.

In fact, it turns out the US Embassy in Paris made the arrangements, not Sarko himself. The French press and the general public find it outrageous Sarkozy used Michelle Obama to bring this debate back into the spotlight. It was one of his electoral platforms and it is something he has been attempting to legislate but has not been able to thus far.

Let's see if Michelle's shopping spree will make more French people feel Sundays should be just as consumer-friendly as the rest of the week.

The comments posted so far on the video site (DaliyMotion, a competitor of YouTube) show that these French people are pretty much against the idea:

-This is dramatic! Where will he (Sarkozy) stop??? 

- What a jerk (Sarkozy)! Michelle Obama should have to wait until Monday to go shopping like everyone else! Or she can go to Casa or La Foirefouille if she really needs to shop (these are big discount stores that receive governmental exemptions to stay open a certain number of Sundays per year)

- Sign the online petition against working on Sundays : http://www.travail-dimanche.com/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,116/

As a whole, the US articles seemed to focus more on what the First Lady purchased for her daughters and how much she might have spent at one upscale French children's clothing boutique (Bonpoint), whereas the French articles pointed out how the sly Sarkozy once again used the anecdote to his advantage in the media.

I'll let you decide :) 

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